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Glite Dictionary
to pen in

to pen in

1 4.2
To write down an idea, plan, or appointment
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : anotar
  • Yet the physical act of taking pen in hand to record an experience grounds the unmanageable moment in the written word, serving as a kind of compositional counterattack and a literal fixing of a slippery truth.

Examples

  • These words were penned in my online diary nine years ago on December 3, 2003 on "The Two Directions of Love":

    Blog text (25)

  • When we first encounter her writing, the year is 1891: "Eleanor was sitting at her writing-table with her pen in her hand..."

    Academic text (2017)

  • "Yes, that's a line from the famous song that John Lennon and Paul McCartney penned in their Beatles days.

    Blog text (25)

  • Damned if it wasn't Sentinel, his own horse, penned in behind Bridget's tumbledown shack of a house.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Not simply because his "Hints" were so calculating, but because they were penned in the context of a religious development that was changing the face of Christianity in the colony: the rapid growth of Protestant evangelical dissent.

    Academic text (2006)

  • This is the first community he's built that he's genuinely proud of, from the curving of the cul-de-sacs as they wind through the woods, to the discrete street names he's penned in meticulous detail.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • She used a notebook to jot down her ideas with a pen in hand.

  • I always keep a pen in my bag to write down any important information.

  • Before the meeting, he made sure to have a pen ready to record his notes.

Synonyms

to write
vsto pen in
∞ 1.0

Put letters and words onto a surface using a pen or keyboard

is specifically about noting ideas, plans, or goals rather than general letter making
to record
vsto pen in
762 2.3

To make a written, audio, or video copy of something for later use

is focused on noting ideas or plans specifically by writing
to write down
vsto pen in
214 1.1

Put information on paper to help you remember it later

is the general action of recording ideas, plans, or goals
to note
vsto pen in
158 1.3

To write something down so you do not forget it

covers recording ideas or plans more broadly, not only brief notes
to put down
vsto pen in
117 2.4

To write something so you do not forget it

means recording ideas or plans in a neutral and simple way
to get down
vsto pen in
52 3.4

To write something down on paper or a screen

is a general way to record ideas, plans, or goals rather than specific texts
to jot down
vsto pen in
  • Informal
27 2.9

To write a short note quickly to remember something

is used for normal recording rather than rapid, brief notes
to write out
vsto pen in
25 2.4

Put all the details on a form or paper

is more general and does not always require full detailed text
to set down
vsto pen in
13 3.8

To write words or information so they are recorded

covers ordinary recording of ideas or plans without special formality
to ink in
vsto pen in
  • Informal
3 5.3

To write final details with a pen so they cannot be changed

means recording ideas generally, not only finalizing details
to scribe
vsto pen in
3 7.4

To mark a surface with a sharp point or write something carefully by hand

refers to recording ideas or plans in normal modern use
to handwrite
vsto pen in
2 3.4

Write something by hand instead of typing it

describes the act of recording ideas or plans regardless of method

How Detailed

to document
365 3.4
to pen in
1 4.2
to write down
214 1.1
to jot down
  • Informal
27 2.9

Surface Forms

pen in infinitive
penned in past
penned in past participle
penning in present participle
pens in third person singular

Morphology

pen + in

The sense 'to write down or record' follows directly from combining 'pen' (to write) with the particle 'in' that signals insertion/entry (i.e. 'write in' or 'write into'), so a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning. This verb+particle pattern is common in English and mirrors equivalent constructions in other languages, making it transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Pen in comes from the simple picture of using a pen to put a note in a diary or calendar. When you write something into your plan it becomes fixed, so the phrase means 'to write down' or 'record'.